The instant invention relates to automated assembly apparatus and more particularly to an automated apparatus for attaching hinges, such as easel hinges, to sequential pairs of first and second, substantially flat, penetrable members, such as the back and easel portions of frames for pictures and the like, in order to hingeably connect the first and second members together.
Easel hinges of the type disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,994,045; 4,050,117; and 4,349,942, to Roy, have been found to be highly effective for hingeably connecting pairs of first and second substantially flat, penetrable members together. In this connection, an easel hinge of this general type comprises first and second, substantially flat metal plate portions having first and second fastening elements thereon, respectively, and a barrel portion which hingeably connects the plate portions together. The fastening elements of a hinge of this type generally comprise rosette or star-type fastening elements which are receivable in piercing engagement with members made of penetrable materials, such as cardboard, for hingeably connecting the members together. Unfortunately, however, heretofore it has been necessary to assemble easel hinges of this type within first and second penetrable members in manual attaching operations, wherein first and second penetrable members are individually manually aligned with hinges and then pressed together so that the fastening elements of the hinges piece the penetrable members in order to hingeably secure them together. As a result, the heretofore available procedures for securing easel hinges to pairs of first and second members have generally been relatively time consuming and therefore costly.
The instant invention provides an effective apparatus for attaching hinges, such as easel hinges of the above-described type, to sequential pairs of first and second, substantially flat, penetrable members, such as the back and easel portions of frames for pictures and the like. Specifically, the apparatus of the instant invention comprises feed means engageable with a hinge of the above-described type for feeding the hinge to a first station in a predetermined collapsed orientation, wherein the first and second plate portions of the hinge overly one another with the fastening elements thereof facing outwardly. The apparatus further comprises jaw means operable at the first station for releasably engaging the barrel portion of the hinge to releasably secure the hinge in the jaw means, means for advancing a substantially flat, first penetrable member to a predetermined position at a second station, means for advancing the jaw means to thereby advance the hinge to a predetermined position at the second station, means for advancing a substantially flat, second penetrable member to a predetermined position at the second station, and means for urging the first and second penetrable members toward the first and second plate portions, respectively, at the second station in order to secure the first and second members to the first and second plate portions, respectively, with the first and second fastening elements, respectively. The jaw means preferably comprises an elongated base member, a jaw plate mounted on the base member, a movable jaw member pivotably mounted on the base member and biased toward the jaw plate so that the jaw member is operative in combination with the jaw plate for releasably retaining the barrel portion of a hinge between the jaw member and the jaw plate. The jaw member preferably has an elongated notch formed therein which faces toward the jaw plate, the notch being dimensioned for receiving portion of a hinge therein and being open at the opposite ends thereof, and the feed means is preferably operative for feeding a hinge to the jaw means so that the barrel portion of the hinge is advanced into the notch through one of the open ends thereof. The base member mounting means is preferably operative for mounting the base member so that it is longitudinally repositionable and pivotable about a base member pivot axis which is substantially parallel to a first penetrable member positioned at the second station, and the means for repositioning the jaw means is preferably operable for longitudinally repositioning the base member in the base member mounting means between a retracted position and an extended position in order to advance a hinge to the second station. The jaw member is preferably formed with a cam surface thereon, and the jaw means preferably further comprises means engageable with the cam surface for pivoting the jaw member away from the jaw plate in order to more easily receive a hinge therein when the jaw member is moved to the retracted position thereof. The feed means is preferably operative for feeding a hinge to the jaw means when the base member is moved to the retracted position thereof, and the apparatus preferably further comprises control means which is responsive to the presence of a hinge received in the jaw means for actuating the jaw means advancing means, the first member advancing means the second member advancing means, and the means for urging the first and second members toward the first and second plate portions, respectively of the hinge. The means for advancing a second member to the second station is preferably operative for holding the second member in the appropriate predetermined position thereof at the second station until the first and second members have been urged toward the first and second plate portions, respectively, and it preferably includes a deflectable plate for supporting the second member until the force of the urging means moves the second member toward the first member to secure the first and second members to the first and second plate portions. The second member advancing means preferably further includes a pusher member for advancing the second member toward the second station, a stop member for preventing the advancement of the second member beyond the appropriate predetermined position thereof at the second station, and a resilient arm operative in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pusher member for urging the second member toward the appropriate predetermined position thereof at the second station.
It has been found that the apparatus of the instant invention can be effectively utilized for rapidly securing sequential easel hinges to sequential pairs of first and second, substantially flat, penetrable members, such as the back and easel portions of frames for pictures and the like, in order to hingeably secure the pairs of penetrable members together. Specifically, the apparatus is operative for feeding sequential easel hinges to a first station and for rapidly advancing the hinges to a second station. The apparatus is also operative for rapidly advancing sequential pairs of first and second, substantially flat, penetrable members, such as the back and easel portions of frames for pictures and the like, to the second station so that the first and second members are properly aligned and oriented with respect to an easel hinge at the second station; and the apparatus is further operative for urging the first and second members toward the first and second plate portions of the easel hinge at the second station in order to secure the first and second members to the easel hinge with the first and second fastening elements on the hinge. As a result, the apparatus of the instant invention can be effectively utilized for hingeably securing the first and second members together in a high-speed, automated operation.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an automated apparatus for hingeably securing a pair of first and second, substantially flat, penetrable members together with an easel hinge.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an effective automated apparatus for hingeably securing the back and easel portions of frames for pictures and the like together with easel hinges.
An even further object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus for minimizing the labor costs required for hingeably connecting the back and easel portions of frames for pictures and the like utilizing easel hinges.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.